On September 17, 2024, friends and staff of the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (NPSC) community honoured Barbara McCool,
retired Trustee, on her 46 years of service to Catholic education with a Mass celebration. In recognition of her exceptional service record from 1977-2023, our Board of Trustees unveiled a dedication plaque in her honour, blessed during Mass by Board Chaplain Father Joseph de Viveiros. C.R. This dedication plaque will be placed in our Boardroom in honour of Barbara's outstanding contributions as Trustee with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board and to publicly funded Catholic Education in Ontario.
Barbara served as a Trustee with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, beginning in 1977. She held the role of Chair of the Board for 12 years and Vice-Chair for 3 years. Barbara also served as both a Trustee member and Chair of the NPSC Special Education Advisory Committee for over 25 years.
Over the course of her tenure as a Catholic school Trustee, Barbara was a passionate advocate for inclusion of students, demonstrating a steadfast and unwavering commitment to the Board and its broader community and devoted her life to addressing the needs of children and adults with disabilities and to improving their quality of life. Her role in advocacy for students resulted in the development of the first integrated and specialized program for children with special education needs in the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board.
Through Barbara’s advocacy and determination, inspired by the gospel teaching that all children are created in God’s image, all students who walked through the doors of NPSC Catholic schools received the support and assistance they needed to flourish and reach their full potential in an inclusive manner.
Our NPSC family was so pleased and excited to recognize and honour Barbara! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Barbara for her commitment to Catholic education and her many contributions to the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board. Prayerful best wishes are extended to Barbara for a happy and joyful retirement!
